Women study journalism on a reasonable basis but choose to change the field to public relations to almost 85% due to job security and lack of enough investment.
In his presentation the Minister of information Musoni Protais said, the government of Rwanda ensures that, the role of women journalists is embarked on a comprehensive media reforms.
“I have no doubt that, Rwanda is promoting gender equality through gender mainstreaming in media industry which will improve the proficiency,” he said.
The minister stressed that government has demonstrated a political will and commitment to gender equality and the necessary press freedom resulting into the present political stability, national reconciliation and respect of human rights and freedom.
A diplomat representing Norwegian Ambassador to Rwanda noted that freedom of expression and free media are essential for realisation of fundamental rights and a cornerstone of democracy in any society.
She observed that some women take serious personal risks related practicing journalism at their work places, like being harassed, threatened and even killed in the field doing investigative assignments.
“Though there are a lot of things to be improved, like collaboration between media houses and institutions as well as among individual media professionals , countries have to unite and design women’s future,” she said.
she added that with gender equality, “you need conscious strategies, and specific measures and plans to encourage women into the career.”
However, the Police Spokesperson Supt. Badege, said that so far there is no any case police has received about harassment of female journalists and incase it happens, they will be considered as other crimes police deals with.
In a video massage of the Executive Director of UN in charge of women, Michelle Bachelet said, “Journalists are the voice of the silent and the champions of the forgotten”
She further said that, the Global Media Monitoring Project Report of 2010 revealed that women reporters are responsible for 37% of the stories compared to 28% 15 years ago while in Africa 30% on of news is covered by women.
President of senate, Hon Vincent Biruta’s said, though women are well represented in other decision- making organs of the government, “I do not think media is well represented like other sectors. Female representation is not as impressive to the extent that, where only 29% of women are media practitioners while less that 10% take media leadership roles”.
“If you educate one man that is educating one person and if you educate one woman is to educate the whole nation”, said VicentBiruta.
“Women journalists have endured bad work conditions for some time and it’s harder for them to report sexual harassment cases due to fear of losing jobs, said Faith Mbabazi the president of women’s journalists Association.”
According to Gaspard Safari, the president of Rwanda’s journalists Association, both public and independent media still have few career women scribes and called upon all media house owners to consider all employees equally.
“Gender equality in Rwandan media is not as in other countries because the problem we meet is poor work conditions payment which why females are not comfortable working with the media.”
Leave a Reply